Today, the majority of our tasks (be it personal or professional) are carried out with the help of applications. Be it a web, mobile, or desktop app, every person uses them in some form or the other. In the business environment, organizations are always looking out for innovative ways to develop new apps to improve their reach to a bigger and more diverse client base.

Apps can be built in different ways and can perform different functions. While many times teams jump right towards developing mobile apps for their projects, it is important to evaluate requirements and available resources to make the right decision.

But how can you find out which one is the right app for your project? In this article, we will discuss the pros and cons of mobile, web, and desktop apps, so that you can get a clear idea of how each of them can be beneficial for your project and what kind of challenges you may face with them. Let’s begin.

Mobile apps

Usually available for downloads via app directories like Google Play, Apple Store, and Windows Store, mobile apps offer multiple high-quality features for meeting consumer needs.

Pros

  • Mobile apps usually work faster as they are designed to function with the phone’s inbuilt features like the microphone, camera, location services, etc.
  • Via mobile apps, you can easily send push notifications like reminders to your intended users so that engagement can be increased.
  • As mobile apps are designed according to specific operating systems, their quality of user experience is better.
  • Several mobile apps offer offline access to all of their content or some specific features, depending on the app’s functionality.

Cons

  • With mobile apps, the cost of development rises according to the operating systems you’re targeting. As Android apps won’t work in iOS, and iOS apps won’t work in android, you’d either have to create separate apps or invest in developing cross-platform or hybrid apps, which will definitely increase the cost of development, maintenance, and may negatively affect user experiences as well. 
  • To list your apps on the App Store, you require approval from the latter, which can take up to several weeks.
  • Mobile apps cannot be used until they are downloaded on a mobile device. If a user lacks the device space or simply doesn’t want to download the app, it cannot be used.

Web Apps

Accessed via web browsers, web apps can be leveraged by anyone at any time with an internet service.

Pros

  • You don’t have to install a web app on your device to use it. It can be accessed easily via a URL.
  • The action of upgrades is not supposed to be done from the user’s end.
  • They are cross-platform, so the need to build the app around a specific platform or operating system is eliminated.
  • You don’t need your personal device to access a web app. You can access it from any device present at any location as long as you have an internet connection.

Cons

  • As compared to the other options, web apps tend to be the most exposed to security threats.
  • Web apps are completely dependent on the internet. So, if internet coverage is lost, or the speed isn’t fast enough, they cannot be used seamlessly.
  • As compared to other options, web apps tend to be slower. Although factors like internet speed and size of data play a significant role in determining the app’s speed, it can still be a bit slower than compared to the quick responses of mobile and desktop apps.
  • Web apps are also dependent on browser compatibility. Many web apps are only compatible with major web browsers like Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. However, there are several other high-performing browsers used by people. If a web app isn’t compatible with your browser, you won’t be able to use it.

Desktop Apps

Just as the name suggests, desktop apps are installed on a desktop. They are programmed on your computer device in a way that you can access them from the start menu or the launchpad. They can be pre-installed as well as installed later.

Pros

  • Desktop apps usually don’t require any regular fees to function.
  • There is no dependency on the internet. So, they can be used seamlessly at any time.
  • They offer a lot of privacy as compared to web apps because there is stronger data protection comparatively.
  • They run faster than web apps because they’re usually not dependent on internet connections to function.
  • Developing desktop applications requires very low hosting costs as compared to web apps.

Cons

  • They cannot be used until they are installed on the computer. For users who don’t want to install an app or lack the space in their computer, using them won’t be possible.
  • They can only be used on the computer in which they have been installed. So, it limits accessibility.
  • Updates need to be installed regularly by the users themselves so that the app keeps functioning seamlessly. If desktop apps are not updated regularly, their functioning may be affected.

Conclusion

When it comes to choosing the right kind of app for your project, you must always do what your requirements dictate. Development of web, mobile, and desktop apps can be expensive and is definitely time-consuming. It demands a lot of thoughtful planning and sincere efforts from your team. Hence, evaluating each kind of app against your requirements before choosing one is essential.